Sole-leveling machine



(No Model.) 6 8heets-8heet 1.

E. C. JUDD. SOLE'LEVELING MACHINE. No. 554,067. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets Sheet 2.

B. 0. JUDD. SOLE LEVELING MAGHINE.

No. 554,067. Patented Feb. 4,1896.

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I w I ANDREW aommm,PHmu-LrmawAsmuommnc (No Model.) 6 S heets Sheet3 E.C. JUDD.

SOLE LEVELING MACHINE. v No. 554,067. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

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(No Model) B. C. JUDD. SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

Nirnn STATES ATENT i-Fries,

EDIVARD O. JUDD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-LEVELING MACHINIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,067, dated February4, 1896. Application filed July 22, 1895- Serial No. 556,666. (No modeLlTo aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD O. J UDD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sole-Leveling Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to sole leveling or molding machines inwhich the sole of the boot or shoe is given the proper shape andcurvature by the pressure of two surfaces, one of which conforms to theshape of the last upon which the boot or shoe was made and the other isthe converse thereof; and it relates more particularly to that class ofmachines in which the last and die are so arranged that they have anoscillatory movement transversely to the last, whereby the pressure uponthe sole progresses across it, in contradistinction to that class inwhich the surfaces oscillate in paths parallel to the axis of the lastto cause the pressure to commence at one end of the sole and progresstoward the other end.

It is now well known that there are many objectionable features incidentto the lastmentioned class which have led to the em ployment of thetransversely-oscillating die and last, by the use of which the sole maybe leveled or molded expeditiously without so great tendency toseparating the sole from the upper along the shank portion or to causingthe sole to creep or move upon the upper, or the outer sole to creepupon the under sole and injure the boot or shoe; but heretofore therehas been an objectionable feature incident to the leveling-machines inwhich the die and last are oscillated in paths transversely of the last,in that in all the machines of which I have knowledge the die and lastare geared positively together, and when it is desired to mold the soleof a boot or shoe it is necessary to swing them to one side, place theboot or shoe upon the last, and then begin the operation of leveling,which causes the pressure to begin upon one side of the sole andprogress transversely of the last, thereby causing the sole to creep toone side upon the upper and injure the shoe or boot.

My invention, then, has for its object the obviation of all of theobjections incident to machines of both of the classes referred toabove, by the provision of a machine in which the leveling-pressure ofthe die and last upon the sole has no injurious effect upon the shoe bycausing the sole to move bodily relatively to the upper.

The invention therefore consists in certain improvements which arehereinafter more particularly described, whereby the last and die are soarranged and operated in such way that they meet and grasp the solealong the median line (the median line of the last coinciding with themedian line of the die) and cause the leveling-pressure to progresstherefrom alternately in both directions, thereby insuring that thedisplacement caused by the progressive pressure in one direction isneutralized by'the succeeding progressive pressure in the oppositedirection.

The invention likewise consists in certain improvements whereby the lastmay have a positit e movement toward and from the die, for placing theshoe thereupon and removing it therefrom, and in other improvementswhereby the die may be swung from an operative to an inoperativeposition as the lastis ment, which I shall now proceed to describe withmore particularity and set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and to the letters andfigures marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the sameletters indicating the same parts or features, as the case may be,wherever they occur.

On the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of my improvedleveling-machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same partially insection. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the machine. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the last and die and the means for raising andlowering the last. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine. Figs. 0 and 7are views, somewhat enlarged, illustrating the means for adjusting theoscillatory movementof the last. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of thedriving-shaft and the clutch devices. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate themechanism for moving the die to one side after the operation of levelinghas been accomplished in order that the finished boot or shoe may beremoved and a new one inserted.

In carrying out my invention I employ a frame having two side standards,a, and top and bottom braces, Z) I) bolted together by long bolt-rods cand supported by the standards a.

(1 indicates the driving-shaft supported in hearings in the bottomcross-brace, Z), and to I which power maybe transmitted by means of thepulley d.

indicates adie-supporting arm swung loosely upon a pivot-shaft p in thecross brace 12 and provided with a sliding die-holder c, there being aspring d interposed between the holder and the arm. To the holder may besecured in any suitable way, as by a dovetail tongue and groove, thedief.

The removable last 9 is supported upon a threaded holder 9 mounted in asocket in an arm 71, and can be adjusted relatively thereto by means ofa nut 9 as will be readily understood.

The die and the last are independent of each other; but when a shoeorvboot is upon thetlast, which is pressed up against the die,

an oscillating movement of the last will carry the die from side to sideand the sole will be molded between them.

In order to move the last toward and from the die for the purpose ofplacing a boot or shoe thereon or removing it therefrom, I employ thefollowing devices: The arm h is mounted upona. pitman 1 forming a partof a shaft 'iarranged beneath the-arm and having a wormwheel i to whichpower is transmitted by a worm j mounted loosely on the cross shaft cl.hen the worm is rotated by means of the clutch device to be hereinafterdescribed, the worm-wheel is revolved and the pitman raises the armvertically until the sole of the shoe on the last is in engagement withthe die, where it is held until the Worm is rotated again to cause thepitman to move to its lowest point.

1 In order to give the proper oscillatory movement to the last I mountuponthe bottom cross-brace a bell-lever Z, one arm of wvhich isconnected to the last supporting arm 71. by

. a pivoted link i and the other arm of which is connected bya pivotedlink Z with a wristpin a secured to a shaft m arranged parallel to theshaft i before described. The shaft on may be intermittently revolved bya wormwheel in thereon driven by a worm j loosely mounted 011 thedriving-shaft d. Thus it will be seen that when, by the clutchmechanisnrwhich will be described, the worm j is revolved theworm-wheel, its shaft, and the wrist-pin 'n. will, through the medium ofthe bell-lever and the links, cause the last and the die to oscillategently from side to side.

By reason of the independence of the die and the last relativelyto eachother the tendency of the die, unless engaged by the last, is to hangvertically with its median line in the central vertical longitudinalplane of the last, so that when a boot or shoe has been placed upon thelast and the latter is elevated until the sole is engaged between it andthe die the pressure at that time is upon the median line of the sole.Then the leveling pressure progresses from the median line of the solefirst to one side and then to the other, causing the displacementeffected by the progressive pressure upon one side of the sole to beneutralized by the progressive pressure upon the other side. This resultcannot be obtained where the die-and last are geared positivelytogether, as in such case the pressure must commence at one extreme edgeof the sole and progress to the other extreme edge, as is obvious tothose skilled in the art.

In order to intermittingly and alternately operate the last-elevatingdevices and the oscillating mechanism, I mount the drivingworms j and jloosely upon the worm-driviu g shaft (Z and provide them withfriction-p11 lleys j j respectively, with which a sliding clutch 7.;splined to the shaft may alternately en gage; and to shift the saidclutch and hold it in engagement with either of said friction-pulleys Iemploy a double foot-lever pivoted to a standard and having an arm 7.;to move it,

there being treadlesk k to throw the lever to one side or the other, theoperator keeping his foot upon the treadle as long as it is desired totransmit motion toeither of the friction -pulleys. Springs 713 areinserted beneath the treadles to insure the return of the clutch to itscentral neutral positionas soon as one of the treadles is released fromthe pressure of the foot.

. Inorder that the machine may be employed for different sizes of bootsand shoes, I employ mechanisnr for adjusting the length of the path ofoscillationof the die and last, so that for a narrow last their lateralmovement will be shorter thanfora wide last. Upon the end of shaft m Irigidly secure a cylindrical box a, in the lower part of which ismounted a worm n A worm-wheel n is placed in the box, so as to be inengagement with the wor-m,-and is retained in place by a ring at securedby screws to the walls of the box.

The wrist-pin is rigidly fastened to the worm-wheelata point remote fromits axis, so as to be eccentric thereof. The axis of the worm-wheel isalso eccentric relatively to the axisof the box and the shaft, sothatwhen theworm n is-rotatedbymeans of a pin. thrust in holes a in itsend the wrist-pin will travel in a circular path from-a point nearestthe axis of theshaft to a point remote therefrom, and therefore vary thetravel of the link Pand the lowerarm of the lever Z. \Vhen the wrist-pinis in the position shown in Fig. 7 it is at its nearest possible pointto the axis of the shaft on, and the last will have its shortestpossible lateral throw, as will be understood.

The die-supporting arm may have an eye 6 with which a hook e on rod 0may engage to hold the die in an inoperative position out of the way, asshown in Fig. 2, when a boot or shoe is being placed upon or removedfrom the last; but I generally prefer to employ the mechanismillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, by means of which the die may beautomatically moved into and out of the vertical lines of the last justbefore the last is elevated and after it is depressed.

19 indicates a lever mounted loosely on a rock-shaft p in thecross-brace b and having in the end an adjusting-screw 19 adapted tobear against an ear 6 on the die-supporting arm. Rigid with said lever13 is an arm 1?, which is connected with a wrist-pin on the w0rm-wheel tthe parts being so timed that when the said wheel is rotated to depressthe last the last is depressed slightly and the diesupporting arm isswung to one side and held in that position until just before the lastis elevated, when the die will be allowed to swing back into place andthe lever 19 will be drawn back so as to allow the die and the last tooscillate freely.

It will be observed that the lever 13 when in an inoperative position isentirely disengaged from the die-supporting arm, so that the latter isnot impeded in its movements.

I have shown my improved mechanism as employed in a twin machine, havingtwo sets of each device, and I have described one side of it; but itwill be understood that the halves are duplicates of each other andoperate in the same way independently of each other.

The operation of the machine is extremely simple. Suppose the parts arein the positions shown in Fig. 9-that is to say, when the last isdepressed and the die has been swung to one side. A boot or shoe isplaced upon the last, and the operator places his foot upon treadle kand holds it thereon. This causes the clutch to engage thefriction-pulley j and the resulting rotation of the worm j andworm-wheel 2' allows thedie to swing down into place and elevates thelast until the sole of the boot or shoe is pressed firmly between thedie and the last. The sole is now grasped by the die and last with itsmedian line lying in the central vertical longitudinal plane of the dieand last. The operators foot is then removed from the treadle k and theengagement of the worm j and worm-wheel 2' looks the parts in thatposition. The treadle k is then depressed, throwing clutch is intoengagement with the friction-pulley 3' and the worm j and worm-wheel mcause the die and the last to oscillate gently from side to side throughthe medium of the lever Z, links 1 and Z and wrist-pin n.

The pressure upon the sole is from end to end thereof and begins at themedian line -ward the toe and then toward the heel.

thereof, progressing across the sole first to one side and then to theother until the sole is sufficiently molded or leveled. The lateralmovements of the last and die prevent the straining of the stitches orthe breaking of the threads, while pressure upon the sole is neutralizedso as to prevent creeping, as has been hereinbefore described. The footis pressed upon the treadle 70 until the sole has been molded orleveled, when it is removed and treadle k is depressed, which causes thelast to be lowered and the die to be swung to one side.

While I have described all of my improvements in connection with amachine in which the die and last have a lateral oscillation across theaxis of the sole, yet it will be seen that many of them may be employedupon a machine in which the oscillations of the die and last areparallel to the axis of the sole. For instance, the means for elevatingand depressing the last may be used in connection with an endwise-actingdie and last, so that the pressure upon the sole progresses from thetransverse median line thereof first to- In fact, I do not limit myselfto the exact details of arrangement and construction herein set forth,as many changes may be made without affecting the spirit or scope of theinvention.

Instead of having a loosely-mounted die and a positively-acting last,the latter may be mounted to swing loosely upon a pivot and the powermay be connected with the die for oscillating it and formoving itvertically or radially to clamp the sole, or else the last may bepositively oscillated and the die elevated and lowered relativelythereto, the essence of my invention residing in means of any kind forclamping a sole between two surfaces along its median line beforeoscillating the same, whether longitudinal or transverse, so that thepressure may progress alternately to each side thereof, for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall the forms in which it may be made or all the modes of its use, whatI claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A machine for leveling soles, comprising in its construction a last,a die, means for oscillating the same, and means for imparting to one ofsaid parts a radial movement independently of the other part,substantially as set forth.

2. A machine for leveling soles, comprising in its construction apivoted die, a pivoted last independent thereof, means for clamping asole between said last and said die with its median line coinciding withthe median lines of said last and said die, and means for oscillatingsaid last and die, whereby the pressure upon the sole progresses to oneside of said median lines and then to the other side, as Set forth.

A machine for leveling soles, comprising in its construction aloosely-pivoted die, a lat erally-oscillating last, and means forpositively elevating said last to engage a sole with the die, the medianline of the sole being coincident with the median lines of said die andsaid last.

i. A machine for leveling soles, comprising in its construction apivoted die'supporting arm, a yielding die mounted thereon, a last, anarm for supporting said last, means for moving said arm vertically tocause the last and die to engage a sole between them, and means foroscillating said last-supporting ftlll'l.

5. A machine for leveling soles, comprising in its construction a dieadapted to be oscillated, an oscillatory last, means for elevating andlowering said last, means for oscillating said last, and means forintermittingly and alternately operating said elevating and. lowerin gmeans, and said last-oscillating means, as set forth.

6. A machine for leveling soles, comprising in its construction apivoted die, a pivotallymounted last disconnected from said die, saidpivots being parallel to the last, whereby a lateral oscillation isimparted, a drivingshaft, a lever connected to said last, and meansconsisting of a worm on the shaft and a wormwheel actuated thereby andconnected with the lever for rocking said lever and thereby oscillatingsaid last and die, as set forth.

7. A machine for leveling soles, eontlprising in its construction apivoted die, an oscillating last, and means for intermittingly movingsaid die out of the vertical lines of said last when a shoe is to beplaced on or removed from said last.

8. A machine of the character described, comprising in its constructiona pivoted die, a pivoted last, means for intermittingly raising andlowering said last, and means for throwing said die into an d out of anoperative position. as said last is raised or lowered, as

set forth.

9. A machine of the character described, comprising in its constructiona movable die, an oscillatinglast adapted to be engaged there with, ashaft, a wrist-pin on said shaft, means for transmitting power from saidwrist'pinto said last to oscillate it, and means for varying theposition of the wrist pin radially oi the axis of the shaft, whereby theoscillatory movement of the last may be varied in its length.

10. A machine of the character described, comprising a pivoted die, apivoted last adapted to be engaged therewith, a drivingsshaft, apower-transmitt-ing device, as a link, a retatable toothed disk securedrevolubly to the shaft eecentrically thereof, a wrist-pin securedeccent-rically to the said disk, anda rotatable worm mounted in hearingson the said shaft and engaging the teeth of the disk for revolving itand thereby moving the wristpin radially of the axis of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of July, A.D. 1895.

EDXVARD C. JUDT).

\Vitnesses:

II. BROWN, A. I). HARRISON.

